By Jennifer P. Rendon
A 44-year-old man remains at large after allegedly killing his elderly neighbor early morning of April 25, 2020 in Dumangas, Iloilo.
Jeffrey Didal immediately fled after he shot his 68-year-old neighbor Freddie Erbite at Barangay Patlad.
Police Major Joven Arevalo, Dumangas police investigator, said the root of the killing appears to be the noise from the modified muffler (tambutso) of Didal’s motorcycle.
Didal went home on board his motorcycle late evening of April 24.
Instead of turning off the engine, “gin-pa-rebolusyon nya pa gid (He revved up the engine),” a witness said.
Erbite and his wife were already settled in their house when they were roused by the noise.
Erbite allegedly went out of their house and told Didal to rest.
This apparently didn’t sit well with the suspect.
The two argued until Didal challenged the victim to a fight.
But Erbite’s wife persuaded the victim to get inside their house.
By Sunday morning, the couple went to the village chairman and reported what happened the previous night.
Erbite then went to the basketball court to fix his motorcycle when Didal arrived and shot him.
Didal fled after the incident while the victim was rushed to the hospital where he died.
Recovered from the crime scene were four empty shells of caliber .9mm ammunition.
